Aberdeen always has been a company town.
Established in the mid-1800s and named in honor of an influential railroad man's native home of Aberdeen, Scotland, it first made a name for itself when the U.S. Army established the Aberdeen Proving Ground in 1917, six months after the United States entered World War I. The town's proximity to roads, shipping and railways made it an ideal place for a military facility.
As a center for military testing, research and training, the post is the Army's oldest active proving ground and the largest employer in Harford County. More than 7,500 civilians work at Aberdeen Proving Ground, which also has nearly 4,000 military personnel and an average of 3,000 people working for independent contractors. The post also supports more than 16,000 military retirees and members of their families.
And although Aberdeen's establishment, growth and productivity have been closely tied to the proving ground, things are changing, says Peter A. Dacey, the city manager.
"APG is the lifeblood of our community and has sustained it," he said. "But we are transforming from an APG-driven community to a town with multiple opportunities for employment, a diverse economy and diverse community. ... Now when we look around, we have major employers, we have small business, we have companies focusing on emerging technologies."
Aberdeen isn't all about ammunition. But it wasn't until the 1980s, Dacey said, that Aberdeen started to develop into its own city and not just a place where proving ground employees lived and worked.
The decade brought tremendous commercial development to the west end of town near Interstate 95. In addition to several shopping centers, a number of hotel chains arrived, adding more than 500 rooms suitable for the influx of independent contractors working for APG, as the military started to rely more on outside experts.
Meanwhile, the industrial base of the town's south side near U.S. 40 grew, as companies such as Pier 1 Imports and Frito Lay opened manufacturing and distribution plants, followed by Saks Fifth Avenue a few years later. The three warehouses have become major employers in the area.
With a firm military, residential, commercial and industrial base, Aberdeen is poised for its next major development, Dacey said.
"The future of Aberdeen is technology," he said
